Hey guys I have a 1971 Ford f-250 lwb. Ive been thinking of something to do with it as a cheap performance mod that will also make it stand out in a crowd. And ive decided on getting a new exhaust. Muffler in particular.
It has a rebuilt 360CI v8 with stock 2 bbl carb and stock headers. I want it to have a deep growl but i dont want it to be to loud. (Cant get any attention from cops!!!) I have been looking at a few mufflers and i cant decide.
What is the best choice in your oppinion?

A magnaflow exhaust with a single pipe coming out the rear.

A flowmaster super 40 with a single pipe out of the rear.

A flowmaster super 44 with a single pipe out of the rear.
OR
A set of Glasspacks.

Im kindof new to working on exhaust setups so if you have any other ideas of mufflers or placement just let me know.

Thanks guys!!!

 

Generally, the larger the muffler the quieter. I had a big a$$ flowmaster on mine and I still thought it was loud. I ended up doing 2.5 in mandrel bent from each header into a single 3 inch mandrel bent through a diesel muffler from a 1999 power stroke; then out the back. It's pretty dang quiet and I get compliments often.

BTW, ditch the 2 barrel and get a 600 cfm Edelbrock for a performance upgrade. The muffler won't do anything. Glasspacks

 

Stock headers? I assume you mean stock manifolds.

Either way, with a 360 and a single tube, I suggest merging 2.5 inch inles and the outlet side should be 3 inches. Alternatively. 2.25 inlets and a single 2.5-inch outlet.

Mufflers? Your call. Opinions vary. I went with 2.5-inch Moroso Spiral Flows on my 73 cuz they're compact and I'm running headers and 2.5-inch duals down the right frame rail (manual tranny).

On my 70, I am planning on Hedman Elite headers, 2.25-inch true duals, through Flowmaster 40s.

 

Well im on a really tight budget for this truck but i have til next december before i get my license. So a new carb isnt in my price range yet. In addition with the new exhaust setup i am going to get me one of them shiny air cleaners.

I will get back to you all when i get off work and do a proper reply

 

i just finished doing some cheap (cost wise) exhaust work on my 71. its got a 360 with headers that go to a 3in collector, but it had reducers to 2in glasspacks (i say had cause the reducers broke, glasspacks rusted out, and i ended up with open headers ).

I went for the cheapest way to not warp my valves and to quiet it down a bit. I spent $22 a side (true duals, no equalizer) on some 2in thrush glasspacks. I even recycled the old pipe so all i had to buy was the glasspacks and a set of turndowns.

As far as sound goes its not too bad, lots quieter in the cab than i thought it would be (might be due to the turndowns though?) I can barely hear it over the rest of my road noise while cruising at 50mph, but if you get on it you defiantly hear it.

I've never heard any of the other setups in person on a stock 360, but i know alot of the chambered type mufflers (flowmaster) have a drone at around ~2k rpm. Some people like this, some don't. glasspacks (not just the standard type, but any that use fiberglass packing) will wear out and get louder over time because the fiberglass will deteriorate.

My setup may not be the best, but if your on a really tight budget, it works and doesn't sound that bad (defiantly better than stock!)

My $0.02
Charlie

 

The rinky-dink exhaust mine came with sounds pretty cool, old school. It is stock manifolds with dual glasspacks, I think 2.25" pipe exiting in front of the rear tires. Its pretty quiet, but gun it and she comes alive.

 

Can you explain the warped valve thing please? I am a little lost on that.

 

Sure. When you run open headers and then shut your hot engine off, your exhaust valves are nice and hot, if the headers are open, cold air can get whisked up headers (much easier than a full exhaust system) and this rapid cooling can warp the exhaust valves and cause them to leak.

Charlie

 

Sure thing I guess. Kinda find it hard to believe. There are millions of drag cars that generate way more heat than one of these engines do and they don't have this problem; constant heat and cool cycles as well. If a car had warped valves I would think that would be related to a cooling and/or oiling problem. Kinda going out on a limb I'd say.

 

I've got a bridge I would love to sell you........

 

I'd go 2 1/2 all the way with some cherry bomb glasspacks.

 

I think a lot of the drag cars run plugs on the exhaust which would keep the exhaust valves from cooling too fast. They could also be running a different material for the valves (like titanium, not sure if it warps like steel does..). Also these motors are not designed to run for a very long time, heck the get rebuilt in between runs and the top fuel motors lack water jackets.

anywho, this information came from my dad who scolded me for running open headers on my truck. He's got about 30 years of experience as a mechanic so i have a tendancy to take his word on some things and prefer to err on the side of caution,


It wouldn't happen to be a bridge in new york would it? i've always wanted to own a bridge!

lilsmokey, sorry for the detour...

Charlie

 

Plugs? WTF? Top Fuel cars? Take it with a grain of salt; the theory behind the thought is far fetched. It is the amount of heat, not the heat/cool cycle that will "warp" the material. Does he advise people to not ceramic coat their pistons and headers so they do not cool off too fast? LMAO. Good luck!

 

lilsmonkey, i would run a flowmaster super 44..i have dual 2.5" from the headers to each muffler and then 2.5" to the bumper. they don't make very much noise unless dog it and when you are decelerating down hills you don't get any pop from the exhaust. I love them, just my opinion

 

Take your pick. I got 'em all over the world.
Running an engine with nothing at all attached to the heads can cause issues with certain materials used on valves. But having the manifold or header bolted on will cause any air that does flow into the valves, after the engine is shut off, to heat up as it goes. The header/manifold will heat up from the exhaust running thru them, sometimes to the point of glowing red/orange, and they don't cool off quickly enough to allow cold air to make it to the valves.
Running open headers or manifolds causing the valves to warp is an old wives tale. It has a very slight amount of truth behind it, in that running with a large leak/hole at the manifold/header can lead to a burned exhaust valve after a long enough period of time, but it's not due to the cool air getting in.
Heck, engines with "high performance" camshafts with plenty of overlap and/or forced induction will send a percentage of the intake air charge out the exhaust valve before it closes, and that would be cooler air than could migrate back up thru the open header/manifold.



And now we return you to your regularly schedualed programming.

I don't care for the sound of dual FM 40 series on a V8. Single is ok, I've even got one one my 300 I6 powered truck. Just my opinion.

Glasspacks sound pretty good, until the packing burns out.
Magnaflow has a muffler that is very similar to a glasspack, but has stainless steel wool, so they don't burn out like the fiberglass packing.